In this blog I present the results of my research into the landowning families of the British Isles and the country houses which they owned. Comments, especially in the form of corrections, additional information or new illustrations, are very welcome. Please use the Contact Form in the right hand side bar to contact me privately or the comments facility at the bottom of the page to make a public comment.

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Friday, 1 March 2013

(7) Ablett of Llanbedr Hall

Joseph Ablett (d. 1848), descended from a
long-established Suffolk yeoman family, purchased Llanbedr Hall in 1804, and
subsequently also nearby estates at Plas Coch and Bathafarn (in 1831).He seems to have built a new house at
Llanbedr which was remodelled later, and also to have altered Bathafarn. At his
death his estates passed to a cousin, John Jesse, a Manchester surgeon.

An
irregular two-storey classical building recorded in an engraving of 1844 (and
perhaps built or altered for Joseph Ablett after 1804) was badly damaged by
fire in 1865 (a previous fire in 1860 had been narrowly prevented from doing
major damage) and remodelled or largely rebuilt by Poundley & Walker
c.1866-74 for Francis Ablett Jesse or his brother John Fairfax Jesse.Yellow brick, with some sandstone polychromy
and a seaside-looking corner turret.In
2011 the owner of house proposed to demolish it and build nine five-bedroom
houses on the site.

Previous owners: sold 1625 to Robert Thelwall (d.
1638); ...to Edward Thelwall (d. 1688); to Edward Thelwall (d. 1704); to Simon
Thelwall (1656-1710); to Edward Thelwall (d. 1733); to Edward Thelwall (d.
1776); to Rev. Edward Thelwall (b. c.1755) who sold c.1804 to Joseph Ablett (c.1773-1848);
to widow, Anne Ablett (d. 1854) and then nephew, John Jesse of Manchester,
surgeon (1801-63); to son, Francis Ablett Jesse (d. 1869), who leased to Major
Rowley; to brother, John Fairfax Jesse (1851-1913), who seems to have leased
it; ...sold 1919 to Evan Pierce Williams, who sold 1923 to Hugh Morriston
Davies (1879-1965), who sold 1953 to Mr Burnley, who sold 1955 to Robert Douglas McQueen
(d. 2001); to Robert Stewart McQueen, who sold 2003 to Roderick Cox.

Bathafarn Hall (Denbighshire)

A late 17th or early 18th century seven bay
house with solid parapets and segment-headed windows which was remodelled in the
early 19th century, and again in the early 20th
century.Lewis' Topographical Dictionary calls it Grecian, but
today it is a three bay rendered house with pilasters, a pedimented doorcase
and a two-storey segmental bow on the south elevation.The house was divided into flats by the Smith
family after 1952; it remains in their possession.

Previous owners: sold c.1600 to John Thelwall
(d. 1630);...Rev. Robert Carter (later Thelwall); to daughter, wife of Lord
William Beauclerk, who sold 1811 to Rev. Roger Clough who sold
1831 to Joseph Ablett (c.1773-1848); to widow, Anne Ablett (d. 1854) and then
nephew, John Jesse of Manchester, surgeon (1801-63); to son, Francis Ablett
Jesse (d. 1869); to brother, John Fairfax Jesse (1851-1913), who seems to have
leased it; ...sold 1919 to Evan Pierce Williams... sold 1934...sold 1952 to Smith family,
who remain owners.

Ablett family of Llanbedr Hall

Ablett,
Joseph (c.1772-1848),
of Llanbedr Hall (Denbighs).Born c.1772,
the son of Joseph Ablett (d. 1827), a Manchester fustian manufacturer and his
wife Margaret Stock, widow of Josiah Fairfax Jesse of Manchester.His grandfather was William Ablett, gent. of
Little Glemham (Suffolk), in which county his ancestors had lived since the 16th
century.Educated at Manchester School
(admitted 1783).He was a JP for
Denbighshire and High Sheriff in 1809; in 1826 he contested the Denbigh parliamentary
seat in the Whig interest and achieved a tied result, but the House of Commons
determined his opponent the victor because of irregularities in the poll.In 1842 he gave 20 acres of land for the
establishment of the North Wales Asylum and he built almshouses at Ruthin
(Denbighs).He was also an eminent book
collector, and a friend and financial supporter of figures in the Romantic
movement, especially Walter Savage Landor, whom he introduced to Southey and
Coleridge in 1832.In 1837 he published Literary Hours: by various friends.He married Anne (b. c.1774-1854), eldest dau
of William Bury esq of Swinton (Lancs) and his wife Jane (née Ormerod), but had
no issue.

He
purchased Llanbedr Hall (Denbighs) in 1804 and the nearby estates at Plas Coch and Bathafarn in
1831.At his death his properties passed
to his cousin by marriage, John Jesse of Manchester, surgeon.

He died 9 January 1848 aged 75, and his will
was proved in the PCC, 16 February 1848.He is buried in the churchyard of the old church at Llanbedr Dyffyrn
Clwyd and commemorated by a monument in the new church.

Message for Gill Smith did you say on this site that you have a picture of llanbedr hall in Ruthin that use to be a sanatorium? as my grans brother died there on 11th June 1919 of Tb, and as there are no pictures on the internet that I can find I would love to see what it looks like, it was also a quest of my dad to find out more but sadly he passed before he did. You can private message me on fb I am Kathy Young (Kathy Barton) from Cheltenham Thanks

My daughter has recently traced my history, I am linked to the Jesse family and the Pierce family of Denbigh. My great grandmother Sarah Jesse, her brother John Fairfax Jesse and their father John Jesse are buried at Llanbedr church. Looking forward to visiting this summer.....

Many thanks for getting in touch; I have incorporated your corrections above. I should be very interested to see more recent pictures of the house. If you send me a private message through the contact form in the right hand side bar I will let you have my email address. Alternatively, you can contact me on Twitter at @NicholasKingsle.